With the widespread deployment of wireless networks and portable computing devices, a computing user may frequently operate their computing device at different locations. For instance, a user may choose to utilize a notebook computer, tablet, smartphone, or other mobile computing device at an airport, home, restaurant, remote worksite, or many other private or public locations.
The mobility of computing devices and the increased prevalence of wireless network connectivity has added complexity to a variety of real-world communication scenarios, especially scenarios involving location-based services. As one example, a computing device may have robust wireless network connectivity and have the potential to establish a voice-over-IP (VoIP) call over the Internet with an emergency call service, such as a “911” calling service in the United States, from many different locations. However, if such a call is made over many VoIP services, the emergency call service is unlikely to know the location of the originating call and the computing device. This limitation is also reinforced when the computing device does not include built-in location features such as GPS sensors, and where the wireless network is not aware of (or has not been provisioned with) its own location. As a result, regulatory requirements have been proposed or enacted in some jurisdictions to block emergency calls from VoIP clients entirely, to prevent emergency responders from being dispatched to an incorrect or incomplete location.